A special event to honour the legacy and 75^th anniversary of the opening of the former Bunnerong Migrant Hostel will be held on Monday 22 September 2025 at the Heffron Centre in Maroubra.

Community members will be able to hear first-hand stories from people who lived and grew up at the hostel which housed an estimated 1,200 post-war British migrants between 1950 and 1970.

The hostel was one of nine government facilities across Sydney housing 9,120 residents at their peak as part of the Australian Government’s plan to help grow the population.

The Bunnerong Migrant Hostel, which is now the site of the Heffron Centre Sporting Centre and South Sydney Rabbitohs High Performance Centre, housed mostly British migrants known colloquially as ‘ten pound poms’.

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker will unveil an interpretive sign to commemorate the hostel. He said the commemorative event was an opportunity to reflect on the experiences of migrants who helped shape modern Australia.

“The story of the Bunnerong Migrant Hostel is one of hardship, activism, optimism and resilience,” Mayor Parker said. “The people who lived there came to Australia in search of a better life and to help grow the nation’s population and skilled workforce.

“Randwick Council’s commemorative event is about recognising these residents, who arrived with hope and determination, endured hardship and made lasting contributions to our community.”

Originally a naval storage site, the Bunnerong Migrant Hostel was repurposed after World War II to address housing shortages. Residents lived in poorly insulated buildings that had been hastily partitioned to form rooms and shared communal facilities. Many migrants voiced their dissatisfaction and called for better conditions.

The hostel was part of a broader network of housing facilities across metropolitan Sydney. By the mid-1960s, a federal parliamentary committee recommended replacing the Bunnerong hostel, leading to the construction of the Endeavour Migrant Hostel in South Coogee, which opened in 1970 with better conditions.

The Bunnerong Migrant Hostel was closed and the area was transformed into Heffron Park, named after former NSW Premier Robert ‘Bob’ Heffron. Randwick Council demolished the last remaining hostel buildings in 2021 to make way for the Heffron Centre, which officially opened in July 2023.

Council’s commemorative event on Monday 22 September will feature stories and reflections from former residents of the hostel. The event is open to all community members.

Event details – Commemorating the Bunnerong Migrant Hostel

Date: Monday 22 September 2025
Time: 2 pm
Location: Heffron Centre, 431R Bunnerong Rd, Maroubra
Bookings essential. Book here.

Event schedule:
2 pm: Acknowledgement of Country and introduction
2.10 pm: Mayor’s welcome speech and overview of the Bunnerong Migrant Hostel
2:15 pm: Matt Thistlethwaite MP speech
2:20 pm: Former hostel resident talk – Marilyn Wilson
2:25 pm: Former resident talk – Jill Hancock
2:30 pm: Former resident talk – Michael Jeffrey Atherton AM
2.40 pm: Interpretive sign unveiling

Media enquiries
Rita Mu – 0429 347 999 or rita.mu@randwick.nsw.gov.au
Joshua Hay – 0402 351 459 or joshua.hay@randwick.nsw.gov.au